The present invention relates to a beverage carrier suitable for sale and transportation of beverages in containers such as cans or bottles, and which also may serve as a disposable cooler for the containers.
Collapsible paperboard carriers for beverages contained in cans or bottles are commonplace in the industry. Examples of various such carriers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,816 issued Nov. 18, 1958 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,672 issued Aug. 20, 1991. Such carriers are examples of one of the many types of commercially used packaging used in the transportation and sale of canned and bottled beverages such as soda, beer, wine coolers, etc. My earlier patent application Ser. No. 09/782,113, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,558 describes an adaptation of a common beverage package that enables the same to perform a dual function wherein it also serves as an ice-containing cooler for the beverage containers.
The present invention relates to a novel adaptation of a common beverage six-, eight-, or other carrier which enables the same to perform a dual function wherein it also may serve as an ice-containing cooler for the beverage containers while, yet, minimizing the retail shelf space required to display the carrier for sale. The cooler may be either disposable either after a single use or, optionally, after multiple uses.
Briefly summarized, the invention provides a carrier for beverage containers formed of a sheet material such as plastic or paperboard which includes a bottom panel attached on opposite lateral sides to side panels, a pair of opposed end panels connected at their lower peripheries to the bottom and side panels, and a central handle which is formed of two halves folded together in a first position for ease in carrying and for economy of display space for retail sale display. The handle is pivotal to an open position along its top fold line, allowing the carrier to spread outwardly to form a central interior cavity capable of holding ice for the purpose of cooling the beverage containers. Each end panel is also provided with pleated panels that enable the outwardly opened carrier to be capable of providing a tray that holds ice and resultant water after melting of the ice. The pleated panels are integrally connected to a flat, rectangular panel of the end panels, which in turn is connected to the peripheries of the side panels. The carrier has a pair of top panels that are provided with a plurality of openings, for example, six or eight, each of which is adapted to receive a beverage container. While eight openings are used in the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that other configurations having four, six or even twelve openings can be used. Alternatively, the carrier may be provided with two larger storage spaces, rather than separate openings. The top panels, which are preferably connected to the handle along their internal lateral edges, are also integrally connected at opposite sides to the upper edges of the side panels. The interior of the carrier may be provided with waterproof protective inner coating or a lining, which may be a flexible plastic sheet material such as polyethylene or polypropylene or a wax-like substance.
The invention may also be equipped with a microchip that would relay an audio display when the invention is moved from a closed to an open position.
Also, the invention explains a method for forming the beverage containers in either paperboard or plastic form.
The invention will be further set forth in the detailed description, accompanying claims and in the drawings.